Re: [DL] Question on Army Rank

[cmcgloth@halifax.com (Christopher McGlothlin)]

Mr. Dirk (No Surname Needed;)) wrote:
>Quick Question... what would a soldier's rank be after 6yrs in the army,
>assuming average progression rates?

	It would depend on a lot of factors, really. I'll mention a few:

1) Theatre of Service: If the character served Back East, they're likely
quite advanced in rank: Sergeant or Captain, at least. (This is because
one's superiors tend to die off more quickly there) If the character served
in the Weird West, their rank is likely to be a notch or two lower.

2) Service Record: If the character has been in serious trouble before
(desertion, consortion with the enemy, etc.), they're a Private, at best.

3) Branch: Infantry advances more quickly in rank Back East, and the same
is true of cavalry in the Weird West (again, Sergeant/ Captain range).
Being an infantryman in the West or a cavalryman in the East causes an
equal drag on one's accumulated rank (perhaps a notch or two). Artillery
service tends to slow advancement everywhere, simply because it's the
smallest branch and hence, has the fewest open slots for advancement.

	Please note that the parallel nature of officer/enlisted service that
exists in the modern military was nowhere near as prevalent in the 19th
Century. Most officers were elected by their regiments, or worked their way
up from the enlisted ranks, conditions which are much rarer today.
	
	(Then again, I'm only a Corporal after 5 years, so what do I know?:))  
      

Deo Vindice,
Christopher McGlothlin, M.Ed.

Additional Developer: *Deadlands: The Weird West* Revised Edition
Co-author of *Tales o' Terror: 1877* & *Back East: The South*
Southern by the Grace of God